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England fast bowler Steven Finn set to miss first Test against India

England fast bowler Steven Finn looks certain to miss this week's first Test with India because of a thigh injury.

Last Updated: 14/11/12 6:55am

Steven Finn: Set to miss first Test because of injury

Finn missed practice on Tuesday, failing to appear in the nets or at fielding practice.

England keeper Matt Prior told Sky Sports: "If there was a realistic chance of Finny playing he would have bowled today.

"It's a setback. I'm sure coach and captain would want to be able to choose from every player that's out here.

"But we have a lot of strength and depth in the squad. It's one thing that's made our squad so strong over the last couple of years.

"If Finny's not available, there's another guy that can step in and do as good a job - that's the way we look at it."

Finn's likely absence puts Tim Bresnan in pole position to be England's third seamer in Thursday's opener in Ahmedabad.

Stuart Broad, who sat out the final warm-up match with a bruised heel, will almost certainly be fit in time to join James Anderson as the two senior quick men, with Graeme Swann as the spinner.

The only decision on the bowling line-up will be whether to field two spinners and include Monty Panesar.

But that looks less likely than a three-one split with the six batsmen plus keeper Prior at No 7 and Bresnan adding further batting firepower at No 8.

England go into the Test series determined to prove their doubters wrong; not since David Gower's team of 1984-5 have England won a series in India.

England, however, can point to a more recent statistic - their success in ending a near equally extensive record of failure in Australia - to win the Ashes down under two winters ago.

Jonathan Trott believes the tourists can record an unlikely triumph and said: "I was told we haven't won in India for 27 years ... so it's pretty similar to Australia.

"This team has achieved things in the past, and I'd like to think we can do it here - we certainly believe we can."

Actions, however, will speak louder than any words.

"We can't sit around talking about it; we've got to go out into the middle and do it on the field - so I hope our results and actions will see people's judgments changing," added Trott, who believes he has relevant experience.

He was part of the one-day international team which lost 5-0 here a year ago, but is confident much has been learned since then about what is required.

"I've played one-day cricket in India before, and you get a feel for it in that and how the atmosphere is going to be.

"It's probably similar to walking out at Melbourne with 90,000 Australians wanting you to do badly. It's pretty similar here, I think.

"You need big totals out here, and innings last for a long time," said Trott. "So you've got to be able to bat long.

"That's going to be our challenge as batsmen - bat as long as you can and get as big a total as possible."